The Art of Being Present

It’s very difficult to not let day to day minutia get in the way of what really and truly matters. For most of us, the only thing that really matters is family and friends.

People.

But life happens. Work happens. Deadlines happen. Distractions happen. Facebook, twitter, phonecalls, and text messages happen.

I know this, and I hate it.

I hate it that I find myself at times not listening when the kids are trying to tell me something, because I’m too busy thinking about what I “should be” doing. Stuff that in the big scheme of things just. don’t. matter.

I hate it that there are times when I’m on the phone and a good friend is sharing a long-winded story, and I continue to go through my day making beds, dusting, sweeping, or emptying the dishwasher instead of taking  a break to really listen.

I hate it that when my husband shares something new! and exciting! about concrete, my brain switches off and I start making lists of things I need to get at the store instead of really trying to understand what he’s talking about.

I hate it that when I neighbor wants to chat while out on a walk, I don’t fully listen and give half-answers.

I know better than this.

I’ve taken classes in active listening. I’ve read books on listening. I like listening, and I like it when people listen to me.

But.

It’s easy to rush through your day, to cram it all in, to say “yes” to just one more thing.

But it’s always at an expense.

Always.

It’s up to you, to me, to ourselves, to prioritize.

You have a challenge today. Listen. Truly listen to those you come in contact with (even me. don’t try to fix this previous sentence to “with whom you come in contact.” You’ll sound pretentious, trust me).

Even listen the annoying lady on the corner who only talks about the weather—-don’t worry about what you are going to say. Just listen and give undivided attention. Don’t look over her head to see who you can move on to. Don’t make excuses to shuffle away to your next thing.

Listen to the kids and ooh and ah over the 1004 pieces of scrap paper they turn out an hour.

Answer the phone, sit down, and talk. Have a real conversation.

Just be there. Be in the moment, and be present.

and have a wonderful day.

related:

How to Be Blissfully Happy

I’m Not Going to Be That Kind of Grown-Up

Time Management and Social Media: An Oxymoron?

Super Soft Gluten Free Sugar Cookies

You know those super soft bakery cookies they sell in the supermarket that are covered in frosting? The orange ones come out for Halloween, and the pink for Valentine’s Day. I wanted them. I needed them. But they had to be gluten free, and the only sugar cookies I’ve made gluten free sort of resembled (and tasted) like hockey pucks. These cookies don’t. I put in tons of butter, but baked them at a pretty high heat to keep the cookies from spreading all over the place. We all absolutely loved them, and these will now be my new go-to cookie when I need to make something to bring to the PTA bake sales that we can eat.

Yup. I bake and then buy my own baked goods. Other people do that, too, right?

The Ingredients.

3 cups gluten free flour mix (I used Pamela’s Baking Mix)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 cup room temperature butter

1 cup white sugar

3 room temperature eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

parchment paper

The Directions.

Sift flour mixture with baking powder, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Set aside.  In a separate bowl, mix together on a low speed with a hand or stand mixer the butter, eggs, vanilla, and sugar. Slowly add in the flour mixture until evenly incorporated.  Refrigerate the dough for about an hour, or until it is easy to handle. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Roll small balls of dough, and place onto cookie sheet, giving ample room for spreading. I was only able to get about 6 on some of my cookie sheets. With your finger, depress each dough ball a bit in the very center. This will help the edges to stay fluffy, and not just the middle of the cookie.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 6-8 minutes, or until the very tops of the cookies have begun to turn golden. Remove from oven, and slide the entire sheet of parchment onto the kitchen counter to let the cookies fully set. When cool, frost with your favorite frosting and add sprinkles, if desired.

The Verdict.

These are very soft cookies—the softest gluten free cookies I’ve ever been able to achieve. I overcooked the first batch (10 minutes was too long, oops!) and even the burnt ones retained their soft chew. I haven’t tried to roll them out to make shapes, but my gut feeling is that it won’t work. It’s super tricky to roll out GF dough, and since there’s so much butter in here, I think the shapes would melt into a blob. Although I haven’t tried it, I think the dough would freeze quite nicely. I’d guess you could get 3 dozen out of a batch, maybe more, depending on cookie size and how much dough you eat.

ps: I’m so sorry that the site has been acting wonky and those who visit through a reader were getting multiple posts. The site was apparently hacked, but Jennette is working on it, and that shouldn’t happen anymore.  The comment section still looks a bit funky, but we’ll figure it out. Thanks so much for your patience.